To increase the power output of an internal combustion engine or provide a smaller displacement engine with an equivalent power output as a larger natural aspirated engine, boosting devices such as turbochargers and superchargers are utilized in engines. However, the compressors in the boosting devices may increase the temperature of the boosted air, thereby decreasing the amount compressed air provided to the cylinders. Consequently, charge air coolers are used in engine to remove heat from the air downstream of compressors to increase air density, thereby increasing combustion efficiency and/or engine power output.
However, charge air coolers may also generate condensate that may negatively impact combustion performance. Specifically, condensate may collect in various areas of the intake system. The large amounts of condensate may then be released into the cylinders at unpredictable time intervals. As a result, some of the gains achieved by the boosting devices may be moderated due to the condensation generated by the charge air coolers.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,371,119 discloses an engine having a drain valve positioned in an intake conduit downstream of an air cooler for reducing the amount of condensate in the intake system. The Inventors have recognized several drawbacks with the engine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,371,119. The drain valve may be costly as well as increase the profile of the intake system. Moreover, the drain valve is actuated based on the pressure in the intake conduit in which it is arranged. Therefore, the drain valve may not function during certain engine operating conditions, thereby limiting the amount of condensate that can be removed from the intake system.
As such in one approach, an internal combustion engine is provided. The engine comprises a cylinder head having a cylinder including an exhaust valve opening and an intake valve opening, an intake port in fluidic communication with the intake valve opening and configured to flow intake air to the cylinder through the intake valve opening, and a condensate drainage channel extending into a wall of the intake port. The condensate drainage channel includes an outlet positioned downstream of an inlet, the inlet positioned vertically above the outlet.
In this way, drainage channels may be integrated into the cylinder head. The drainage channels provide a metered amount of condensate flow into the cylinders to reduce condensate build up in the intake system. Thus, small amounts of condensate may be directed to the cylinders during engine operation to reduce the condensates impact on combustion performance. As a result, the likelihood of large amounts of condensate flowing into the cylinder at one time is reduced, thereby improving combustion performance. Furthermore, the integration of the drainage channels into the cylinder head enables condensate management features to be provided in the engine without increasing the size of the intake system. As a result, the compactness of the intake system in the engine may be reduced, if desired, when compared to engines having condensate draining sub-systems positioned in intake systems.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure. Additionally, the above issues have been recognized by the inventors herein, and are not admitted to be known.